Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Bridgerton season 1.
In Bridgerton, the year's social season opens with the presentation of the debutantes to Queen Charlotte, and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) receives praise so high that she immediately becomes a standout, known in the show as “the Incomparable." Queen Charlotte rises from her throne, bends down to kiss Daphne’s forehead, and says a single word: Flawless. With this simple act, the queen made Daphne so desirable that she could have her pick of any available suitor she wants. But Daphne’s fame is short-lived. As Lady Whistledown remarks, “The brighter a lady shines, the faster she may burn.”
The next time Lady Whistledown writes about Daphne, it’s after the glamorous opening ball at Lady Danbury’s house. At the ball, Daphne’s brother Antony managed to scare off all of Daphne’s suitors and then made her leave early. It’s no surprise, then, that Anthony continues to shut down Daphne’s suitors one by one when they come calling at the Bridgertons, making the Bridgerton’s house appear “emptier than the muddled head… of King George,” as Lady Whistledown writes. And Lady Whistledown would know firsthand just how empty the Bridgerton house is since Lady Whistledown is none other than Penelope Featherington – the Bridgerton’s neighbor and Eloise Bridgerton’s close friend.
Penelope Featherington (aka Lady Whistledown) had some possibly selfish motivations for turning on Daphne. When she and her sisters were presented to the queen, Penelope’s oldest sister, Prudence, fainted because of her improperly tied corset, bringing shame on the entire family - and possibly ruining Penelope’s own chances of marriage. And it could even be that when the lovely Miss Marina Thompson arrives at Lady Danbury’s ball, attracting the gaze of everyone in the room, Penelope sees an opportunity to redeem her family’s reputation. Following the ball, Lady Whistledown writes in her gossip column:
It appears our diamond [Daphne Bridgerton] requires a closer inspection. As such, an even rarer jewel … has been unearthed. Her name… is Miss Marina Thompson. …It follows that Lady Featherington is to receive what she has always desired: the season’s true incomparable living under her own roof. She must be overjoyed.
With those words, Penelope accomplished two goals: redeeming her family and making a rather tongue-in-cheek remark that she knew would irritate her mother, since Lady Featherington isn’t exactly overjoyed that Marina Thompson is getting more attention than her or her daughters. Nonetheless, the Featheringtons’ status is somewhat reinstated, allowing the Featherington family to continue attending all the hottest parties in town.
Daphne’s popularity temporarily suffers from Lady Whistledown’s sly jab, but Daphne manages to subvert Lady Whistledown after she bumps into Simon, the Duke of Hastings. Simon and Daphne strike a deal that benefits them both and not even Whistledown knows that their relationship is a ruse. Misled by the couple, who quickly become the talk of the town, Lady Whistledown plays right into their hands and begins publicizing their fake relationship for them, bringing more suitors to Daphne’s door and driving eager debutantes (and their mothers) away from Simon.
Penelope Featherington’s proximity to the Bridgertons allowed her to see what was going on in both households. As Lady Whistledown, Penelope was able to take just enough of the truth to make her claims believable while manipulating them however she wanted, especially in ways that benefitted herself. It’s not the last time that Penelope uses Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers to further her personal agenda, but with her sudden turn on Daphne, Whistledown inadvertently drives Simon and Daphne into a relationship, setting Bridgerton’s entire plot in motion.